Another Brick in the Wall
by squiddokid
Summary: Dan Howell, the weird new kid at Sandalwood High, can't seem to help but attract trouble. The despicable teachers seem to target him especially - nobody's complaining; it detracts the attention from them. Nobody, that is, apart from Phil Lester, a brave boy with a big heart. Little do they know, Phil's actions against the adults have been the start of something much, much bigger...
1. Chapter 1

Dan was the new kid. He expected to get a little teasing and bullying, but he expected it from other kids. He definitely did not expect it from the teachers.

He was studiously taking notes in English when suddenly the ratty, screechy voice of the teacher rung across the classroom. "Daniel Howell!"

He looked up quickly. Everyone in the room was staring at him, some silently laughing, some feeling sorry for him. He swallowed, feeling himself going pink. "Yes, sir?"

"What did I just say?" He asked. Dan went even redder, taking a wild glance at the blackboard. He read out the writing scrawled on it. "Um, 'Romeo and Juliet's relationship'?"

The teacher scowled. "Wrong! Howell, you idiot!" Dan bit his lip and lowered his gaze as a couple of sniggers rose up around him. The boy who sat on his left, Alfie, spread his arms and shook his head in confusion and disgust before leaning over towards Dan and hissing, "But that's what he said! Don't worry about it, mate. All of us hate him." He looked at the other boy and was about to reply before the ratty teacher yelled again. "Deyes! How dare you speak in my lessons! See me after class!"

After what seemed like an eternity, the class was let out. Now, Alfie Deyes and a couple other people in his classes might be friendly and talk to him sometimes, but he didn't really have any _proper_ friends. So Dan usually just sat in the corner of the playground and watched everyone.

Someone who had caught his eye was a boy who he thought was about a year older than him, but still in his year group. He had hair as shiny and black as raven feathers and sparkly blue eyes like a summer day's sky, and his smile was as warm as a campfire.

He only shared one lesson with him, and didn't even know his name. He was determined to find out next lesson, which was the class they shared. It also happened to be Dan's favourite lesson.

Drama.


	2. Chapter 2

Dan hunched his backpack up on his back and began to make his way to Drama. This teacher was, as far as he knew, the only one he had yet to encounter. Little did he know, this one would be the worst of all.

He was usually very early to his classes, and often he would be the first one there, but this time, he was taken by surprise. For there in front of him, sat on the floor on top of his bag, sipping a carton of juice through a straw, was the very boy with raven-dark hair who he had just spotted in the playground. Those warm but strangely distant ice blue eyes glanced up at him and the straw disappeared from the mouth to be replaced by a smile. He stood up, and Dan was surprised to realise that they were about the same size. The other boy extended a hand. "Hi! I'm Phil Lester. You're the new kid, aren't you? What's your name?"

Dan took his hand. "Dan. Dan Howell." Phil grinned, and it was like a ray of sunshine had shimmered from the heavens. "Nice you meet you, Dan. I'm Phil! Oh, wait - I already said that, didn't I?" He chuckled softly, and Dan realised that his laugh was even warmer that his smile. He laughed gently too.

More people started to arrive. Almost everyone was there, talking in their private groups, when a tall, menacing woman strode out of the drama room. Her hair was shoulder-length and black, but not the shiny raven-feather black of Phil's hair. Hers was the black of a moonless night, when you're lost and can't find your way. Dan's heart sunk.

"Line up! Now!" She barked, and her voice was so sudden and so sharp, Dan visibly flinched before scurrying into a line behind Phil. The rest of the class, which he was grateful to notice, included Alfie Deyes, bumbled into a quick line behind him. The teacher looked down her nose at them, as though they were a nest of particularly disgusting maggots, before snapping, again so abruptly that Dan jumped, "Inside!"

The group filtered in swiftly and sat on the floor, seeing as there didn't seem to be any desks or chairs in the room. Dan found himself between Phil and the odd Swedish boy, Felix.

She strode in, face a thundercloud. "Today we're going to be studying drama techniques."

Funnily enough, the lesson contained no practical work. The class just copied work the whole time. After what seemed like an eternity, class was dismissed and nobody could get out fast enough.

Phil turned to look at Dan with his big sky-blue eyes. "So, what are you doing?"

Dan was taken by surprise. "What?"

He giggled slightly and Dan went a little pink. "I mean what are you doing for lunch?"

"Oh. I have a packed lunch, so I usually just sit somewhere on my own and.. people-watch." Phil burst out laughing again and Dan went red, feeling indignant. "Hey! Don't laugh!" Phil immediately sobered. "Sorry. It's just.. that's what I do at lunchtime, too! Could we people-watch together today, do you think?"

Dan smiled from ear to ear. "Definitely."


	3. Chapter 3

Dan sat on the wall next to Phil, munching on a cheese sandwich. Phil looked over at him in shock. "How can you eat that?" Dan made a questioning face. "What? Is it mouldy or something?" He asked, holding it at arm's length to examine it.

"No, no, no, it's.. _cheese,_ " he said, leaning away from Dan as though he was diseased. Dan looked at him incredulously. "You don't like cheese?"

Phil shuddered and shook his head, biting into his own tuna sandwich. After he'd swallowed, he wrinkled his nose and pointed over to the other side of the playground. "Look." Dan followed his gaze and spotted their drama teacher. He turned to Phil, about to make some sarcastic remark, when he noticed that his new friend was singing something under his breath. He could just make out the words.

"We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control." He sang quietly, before noticing Dan watching him and stopped, going a little red.

"No, go on! It's fine!" Dan encouraged him, having been enjoying the deep, bass tones of his singing voice. Phil began to sing again, still quietly. "No dark sarcasm in the classroom. Teacher, leave those kids alone." Suddenly, he leapt to his feet, spread his arms dramatically, and begin to shout out the words. "Hey! Teacher! Leave those kids alone! All in all, it's just another brick in the wall. All in all, you're just another brick in the wall." Dan clapped enthusiastically, and Phil sat on the wall again, embarrassed. He then cracked a grin and said, "Let's hear you sing, then." Dan stopped applauding and shook his head. "No way. I can't sing."

"I bet you can," countered Phil.

"I don't know the song, anyway," Dan said, attempting to excuse himself.

"Sing one you do know," His friend encouraged, not letting him get out of it that easily.

Dan sighed, aware that Phil wouldn't leave him alone until he sang. "Fine, but I'll need a beat. Something like this." He tapped his feet twice on the ground, then clapped once, and repeated it. Phil nodded, taking up the rhythm quickly. Dan smiled, and started to sing.

"Buddy, you're a boy

Make a big noise

Playing in the streets

Gonna be a big man some day!

Got mud on your face

You big disgrace

Kicking your can all over the place."

It was immediately obvious that Dan's voice was higher pitched than Phil's and, despite the fact that Phil was a decent singer, Dan was by far better.

Dan stopped singing and Phil leapt forwards and wrapped him in a hug. "That was _amazing_!" Dan found himself hugging him back for just a moment before they broke apart, blushing and coughing awkwardly.

"Seriously, though," Phil said earnestly, "you're a great singer."

Dan looked away. "Thanks, but.. I don't think I am."

Phil insisted he was, so Dan eventually just accepted it, though he still didn't believe it.

Dan never believed in himself.


End file.
